Squirrel
by SelenitaLunar
Summary: An evening with the Starks (fluff for Pepperony Week)


**The characters belong to Marvel/Disney (I wish I own them) and I don't get any profit from this writing.**

* * *

 **SQUIRREL**

* * *

It had been a cold winter evening and Maria Stark had been screaming about how badly she wanted a slice of cotton candy during an entire hour. It had taken Pepper far more time than expected to get it because there was a lot of people waiting in line at the stand. With her sweet reward on her hands, Pepper finally came back to the spot she had left her husband and daughter. She looked at them from the distance and started laughing incontrollably, quickly covering her mouth with her colourful scarf not wanting to make noise and break the spell of the momment. In front of her, bending next to each other, Tony and Maria watched warily as a red-tailed squirrel was eating with delight a hazelnut that had just been thrown her way by the little girl.

"Look at how she eats it, Daddy!" Screamed the child exhilarated.

"That was the intent when I suggested you gave it to her, Birdie" Retorted her father.

"Do you think she'll eat from my palm if I try it?" She asked hopeful.

Her father looked at her with his brilliant chocolate brown eyes and his biggest smile in his face. Amazed and proud. He took the beautiful little hand of her daughter and softly opened it, leaving one single hazelnut in her open palm.

"Now, start walking towards her. Slowly, calmly… That's it Maria. Don't make sudden movements" He said as he guided her expertly. "Now, quiet Birdie. Let's just look at our little friend, shall we?"

Maria Stark did exactly as her father said. And awaited, her feet firmly planted in the snow. The squirrel had just devoured the last food they'd given her. The little furry directed it's vivacious black eyes towards the new hazelnut that was being offered to her. It looked so appetizing. She doubted for an instant. Then moved her nose first one way, then the other. She hesitated again. Finally seemed to surrender to the needs of the harsh winter and hunger and decided to take two steps towards the offering hand of Maria. Two pairs of big beautiful brown eyes focused on following the subtle and rapid movements of the little animal.

The red squirrel wagged her tail in the cold air, and in a split second, snatched the hazelnut from the little human grasp.

Maria jumped repeatedly with excitement. His white wool cap clinging dangerously from her head about to fall into the ground, leaving strands of her brown-reddish hair at sight.

"She has just eaten from my hand! A squirrel just ate from my hand!" The little girl screamed amazed. "Have you seen that Daddy?"

"Of course I saw it, Birdie!" Tony said happily, caressing her bright red cheek with a gentle single finger. It was so cold that she was flustered.

Maria looked around in search of her mother, eager to break the news of her new achievement. Pepper's eyes met hers as she approached the few steps that separated them.

The squirrel bated her eyes repeatedly and then started to run, scared about the yelling and jumping of the child. She went far away, in search of the tallest tree she could find, with the hazelnut safely clutched between her little hands.

"Did you see that Mommy? She caught the hazelnut from my hand!"

"I saw it, honey" Pepper clarified, putting her hand around her daughter's shoulders in a protective gesture.

"I can't believe it, Mommy… She just came here and… Zoom! She grabbed it from my hand!" Kept yelling Maria, looking towards her with those enormous brown eyes Pepper knew far too well.

Tony, smiling happily, came closer to his two girls and leveled himself to kiss Pepper in the lips. When they parted, the redhead gave Maria her cotton candy.

"There you are, honey. Enjoy it."

"Thank You Mommy" Maria said taking the stick and trying a slice as soon as it touched her hands.

But Tony was faster than his daughter and grabbed the top of the pink mountain, sticking it into his mouth.

His wife narrowed her eyes amused as Maria tried to get her candy out of his father's reach.

"Ummm that shit's good, Pep…"

"Daddy, stop eating my candy!" Her daughter yelled.

"Daddy's hungry, Birdie… Give me some. Don't be so selfish…"

"You know, that's funny coming from you" Pepper laughed. "I leave you both out of my sight for some minutes and you befriend a climber mammal…"

Tony smiled lovingly at her and circled her waist bringing her closer to him. The family started to walk togheter trough the snow.

"It's been a perfect evening in _Central Park._ " The engineer said.

"Yes, very nice. And with all this winter clothes on, nobody recognized us yet" Her wife agreed.

"And the best part it's still to come!" The six year old said, pointing happily to the ice rink in front of them. "I'm ice skiing for the first time ever! You promised me!"

Her parents nodded and smiled fondly at her. Tony grabbed another piece of cotton candy and absentmindedly put it into his mouth. Chewing slowly.

When he swallowed, he said in a resigned tone:

"A Stark always keeps his promises" He crosed his fingers in the air and then started walking towards the ice rink with Maria.

"Since when?!" Pepper yelled following them closely.

"Since always, Mrs. Stark" Tony answered looking back towards her and filling her nose tip with pink cotton candy.

Maria laughed happily between her parents. That cristal clear laugh of the innocent echoing between the trees. When she turned to look to the ice rink again, Tony liked the cotton candy from his wife's nose. And winked to her. Pepper's smile went wide. And they kissed in the lips again.

* * *

 **Published withouth a beta-reader because I was nearly reaching the deadline. I hope there aren't too many mistakes...**

 **It's lots of fluff but that was the theme on DAY 3 of Pepperony Week 2016 so enjoy ^^**


End file.
